by Logan Jacobs
“But put some clothes on first,” Lavinia growled as Lena started to remove the… whatever it was. Lena nodded and drifted back towards her own room. I cocked an eyebrow at Lavinia, and she sighed.
“So, your nightmare,” I said.
Lavinia locked her door and stepped back from me.
“Breakfast,” she suggested. Then she turned on her heel and headed for the stairwell.
I shrugged and trotted after her. I was surprised to find that the lobby was packed. Hordes of tourists stood around in large groups, and each group appeared to be centered around a brightly colored flag. There was the orange group, the lemon yellow group, the kiwi green group, and the neon pink group. Hotel employees flitted among the groups with trays of water and small pastries.
Lavinia and I squeezed through and entered the dining room. There were tourists here, as well, but they looked to be finishing their breakfasts, and several scooted past us to join one of the groups in the lobby. A flustered looking waitress told us to sit anywhere, and Lavinia and I claimed a large round table that the busboy had just finished cleaning.
“What’s going on?” I asked as the waitress came by with the menus.
“It’s the morning bathers,” the waitress replied. “The different colors are for the different treatments you can get.”
“Oh, okay,” I said dubiously.
“They only allow bathing during certain hours,” the waitress explained. “You have to sign up at least two days in advance, and you can’t be late or they won’t let you in.”
“I’m surprised Yvaine and Maruk haven’t signed up,” Lavinia muttered.
“Who says they haven’t?”
The waitress left, and Lavinia and I studied the menu. I decided the ham extravaganza sounded right for a hard day of walking and set my menu aside. I looked expectantly at Lavinia, but she buried her nose in the menu.
“It’s not that fascinating,” I said eventually.
“Huh?” she asked as she finally looked up.
“The menu,” I replied. “It’s not that fascinating. So what are you really thinking about?”
Lavinia sighed and set her menu down. She pushed it around the table, then took a sip of water.
“Gabriel,” she finally began, “there’s something we need to discuss.”
“Okay,” I said gently. The ladona’s normally fiery gaze was muted, and she pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She stared at the menu again, then finally turned to face me.
“Gabriel--” she started again, then stopped.
I waited. When she finally opened her mouth again, though, it wasn’t her voice I heard.
“Can you believe this place?” Dehn called out as he dropped into a chair at the table. He scooped up a menu, and asked, “Anything look good?”
“They have waffles,” Lavinia replied as she looked away from me.
“Yum,” Dehn agreed as he looked over the list of possibilities.
“Ah, Dehn,” I began as I tried to think of a way to get him away from the table. But it was too late. Lena arrived, now clad in pastel colored harem pants with tiny bells and matching top, and Emeline was only a moment behind her.
“So, boss,” Dehn said as he passed the menus to Lena and Emeline. “What’s the plan for today?”
Lavinia ignored my look and started a quiet conversation with Lena.
“We should head to Mount Speir today,” I sighed. “We might as well get that out of the way while we’re here.”
“It’ll be easier than going back to Welch’s first,” Emeline agreed.
“Sounds dull,” Dehn remarked.
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and meet some centaurs or something,” Emeline consoled him.
“Oh, that would be awesome,” Dehn replied as his face lit up. “I’ve never fought a centaur before.”
“Do they really have centaurs here?” I asked.
“We’re supposed to be near one of their strongholds,” Emeline replied with a shrug.
“Good morning,” Aerin said as she sat down next to Lena.
“Good morning,” we chorused back.
“Anything good?” Aerin asked as she picked up a menu.
The same conversation repeated itself when Yvaine and Maruk finally appeared. We ordered our food, and I repeated my plan to head for Mount Speir. I listened as my team debated the merits of various routes, and I tried to catch Lavinia’s eye. She continued to ignore me and focused on the discussion. She and Emeline preferred a more direct route through the mountains, but Lena and Maruk argued for a more roundabout but easier route through the foothills. Yvaine and Aerin listened, and occasionally threw in a comment, but neither seemed to feel very strongly one way or the other.
“They both take about the same amount of time,” Maruk said. “So why kill ourselves by going over the mountains?”
“There are some wonderful herbs I could collect in the foothills,” Lena added. “And I could probably find some royal jellyfish in the rivers.”
“We’re less likely to run into trouble in the mountains,” Lavinia pointed out.
“Normally, I think that would be true,” Yvaine commented. “But I do think our guild has a knack for finding trouble. I suspect that both routes could carry danger, and the flatter one would be easier to defend.”
“I want to fight a centaur,” Dehn declared. “And you only find them in the mountains.”
“Not true,” Emeline mused. “They use the flat lands a lot for grazing sheep and cattle.”
“Centaurs have sheep and cattle?” I interrupted.
“Of course,” Maruk replied. “They’re excellent herders.”
“They are?” I asked.
“What do they do on your world?” Lena queried.
“Um, well, we don’t actually have centaurs,” I replied. “I mean we have legends about them, and they’re in stories like Harry Potter and such, but we don’t actually have any.”
“What a strange world you come from,” Lena observed.
“So you have hot air balloons but no centaurs,” Maruk mused.
“Don’t forget the… what were they?” Dehn pondered. “Planes?”
“Planes, cars, and trains,” Lena supplied.
“You remembered that?” I asked.
“You still haven’t explained what those are,” Lena replied with a smile.
Our breakfast arrived, and I was saved from having to explain the various ways people moved around on earth. We finished the meal, though I noticed Lavinia made do with only tea and dry toast again. I saw Aerin shoot the ladona woman a quizzical look, but Lavinia ignored her. We returned to our rooms long enough to gather our belongings, and then we regrouped in the now empty lobby.
Yvaine handled the bill, much to Aerin’s relief. Yvaine must have left a nice tip, because the hotel offered us several bottles of lake water as we left, which quickly disappeared into Maruk’s satchel. We stepped outside, and I was surprised at how much cooler the air felt this morning. I tugged my cloak tighter around my shoulders and led the way back through the town. We made good time on the narrow road, and we were soon back at the fork. When we arrived at the sign, eight pairs of eyes turned towards me.
“Well, boss?” Dehn asked.
“I think my quads have had enough mountain climbing for now,” I replied. “We take the road through the foothills.”
“Yes!” Lena cried out jubilantly as she clapped her hands together. “I just know I’ll find some excellent frost buttons!”
Lena started down the trail before anyone could say another word. The tinkling of her bells drifted back towards us, and I looked around at the team.
“Someone’s going to have to keep an eye on her,” I sighed.
“I can keep her in line,” Dehn volunteered. “Besides, she seems to attract trouble. I bet I get a fight or two out of this.”
“This should be fun,” Lavinia noted.
“Perhaps we should follow her,” Maruk suggested. “Seeing as how she’s no longer visibl
e.”
“That was fast,” Yvaine said. “Did she just fall off the mountain?”
“Hey, elf!” Dehn called out as he ran down the trail after Lena. The rest of us followed suit, and we soon found Lena, stuck halfway inside a crevice. She was scraping some sort of fungus from the rock, while Dehn pulled impatiently on her sleeve.
“We gotta go,” he said in a very frustrated voice.
“Almost done,” Lena replied cheerfully. Her head emerged, and she tucked a small vial into her bag. She smiled at us and then continued on her way.
“This is going to take twice as long as it should,” Lavinia warned.
“Maybe,” I said. “But she’s been able to put together some pretty good stuff from her findings so far.”
“You wouldn’t believe how much money we’ve made off those glow sticks,” Aerin added.
The good news was that the weather cooperated. Gray clouds had moved in overnight, and the temperature had dropped, but whatever precipitation the clouds held never fell. We also managed to avoid any major fights, though Dehn did get to kill a gigantic catfish that tried to grab Lena as she waded along the edge of a lake while looking for royal jellyfish.
It didn’t take us twice as long to reach Mount Speir, but it was close. I looked up at the side of the mountain and sighed. I was really starting to hate mountain climbing.
“Right,” I said as I turned to face my team. “Emeline, you have the map?”
“Right here,” she replied as she dug around in her sack. “Um… oh, here it is.”
She held up a piece of paper and Lavinia grabbed it. She unfolded it, then looked up at the mountain.
“There should be a direct path to the designated drop off about a mile up the road,” Lavinia said as she handed the map back to Emeline.
“An actual road to our destination,” Maruk mused. “Will miracles never cease?”
Lavinia took the lead, and we fell in step behind her. Emeline tried to walk next to Lavinia, as she consulted the map, but Lavinia always managed to stay a step ahead. Dehn did a good job of keeping Lena on the road as we closed in on the mountain, despite Lena’s repeated attempts to collect yet more samples. Maruk and Yvaine held a quiet discussion about the various grades of silk, while Aerin sidled up next to me and slipped her hand into mine. Merlin, who’d spent the last hour napping in my pack, poked his head out and chirped. The elf smiled at him, and he slipped across to her shoulders. She scratched between his ears and then handed him a piece of apple.
“I need to start an apple orchard,” I laughed. “It’s the only way I’ll ever have enough apples to keep him happy.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Merlin?” Aerin cooed.
Merlin chirped in agreement, and looked at me with large, innocent eyes.
“I was kidding,” I protested. “I don’t know the first thing about growing apples.”
“You could learn,” Aerin pointed out.
“I could,” I agreed. “And when I’m old and grouchy and not able to kill necromancers or griffins or such anymore, I can spend my days among the apple trees, feeding a very fat little puca.”
Aerin laughed, but Merlin looked like he couldn’t decide if he had just been insulted or not. I just grinned at him, so he headbutted Aerin on her chin. She gave him another scratch between the ears, and he purred loudly in response. His eyes closed, though I noticed he was still watching me through a small slit.
“Here it is,” Lavinia called out, and we came to a halt behind her. “This should take us straight to the library or whatever it is. Last chance to plan a sneak attack.”
“We’re not going there to attack them,” I replied.
“Right,” Lavinia said. “I still think there’s something off about this.”
“Murillo is a well-respected mage,” Emeline declared. “Why, he once battled a dwarf cult just to rescue a band of travelers. And he developed the spell that hardened the stones in the city wall.”
“I remember that,” Maruk agreed. “The engineers had found some cracks in the wall when the foundation shifted and said the walls would have to be rebuilt. People were in a panic, and there were all sorts of dire predictions about foul characters sneaking into the city while it was defenseless.”
“Didn’t one of the goblin leaders offer a reward to any goblin who razed the city?” Yvaine asked.
“He did indeed,” Maruk replied. “It was most distasteful.”
“Well, obviously Murillo’s magic saved the city,” I said.
Lavinia heaved a sigh and started up the mountain trail. Aerin gave my hand a quick squeeze, then moved up next to the ladona.
Lavinia seemed okay with Aerin’s presence, and I saw the two women slip into a quiet conversation. Emeline gave up on her map and tucked it back into her pack. She was soon walking next to Lena and Dehn, and the halfling found himself herding two people along the path. Yvaine and Maruk brought up the rear again, this time comparing notes on the upcoming opera season.
The road up was smoother than the previous day’s march, but it was still steep. I spent most of the climb formulating ways to land hot air balloons on mountain castles. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I nearly walked into Emeline. The panthera had stopped, along with the rest of the crew, to admire the structure that had appeared in front of us.
It wasn’t a castle, exactly. In fact, it bore more than a passing resemblance to a lodge. Maybe log-cabin chateau was a good description. There was no gate, or moat, or even guards on patrol. Just a front door, painted a happy cherry red, and a statue of a naked three-breasted woman with no face. Yvaine and Maruk approached the statue and scrutinized it.
“I do believe it’s a genuine Pirelli,” Maruk said in awe.
“It is,” Yvaine agreed. “Remarkable. I haven’t seen a new one in years.”
“I wish I hadn’t seen this one at all,” Aerin remarked. “It’s creepy.”
“It’s a statement on the status of women,” Maruk explained.
“Uh-huh,” Aerin replied doubtfully.
“We can admire the artwork later,” I said. “Let’s get this delivery over with.”
With that, I stepped up to the door. There was a lion-headed door knocker, and I gave it several hard smacks. There was no immediate reply, and Lavinia peered through the window by the door.
“I don’t see anyone,” she said.
“Should we just try the door?” Emeline asked.
I twisted the knob and was surprised that the door was unlocked. I looked at Lavinia, who shrugged. I pushed the door open, and we stepped inside.
“Hello?” I called out.
“Coming, coming,” came a voice from somewhere off to the right. A moment later, Murillo appeared, dressed in something that looked like an olive green leisure suit.
“Shadow Foxes!” Murillo cried happily when he saw us. “This is indeed a great occasion. Does this mean you have succeeded in your mission?”
“Um, yes,” I said as Murillo grabbed my hand and led the way deeper into the house/chateau/lodge. We ended up in a room with a wall of windows overlooking the mountains and valley below. I knew people who would have paid a fortune for this same view in Taos.
“This is a really nice place,” I said as I took in the large stone hearth, the thick rugs, and the plumply inviting furniture. It was all done in shades of brown, with splashes of teal and forest green mixed in. The only thing missing was a large screen TV.
“Thank you,” Murillo said as we admired the room. “It’s the wife’s family. They have a few businesses on this side of the mountains.”
“I’m thirsty,” Dehn declared.
Murillo’s smiled dimmed for a moment, but then he said, “Where are my manners? Of course you’re thirsty. Let me just go get you something to drink. Is lemonade good for everyone?”
We all nodded, and Murillo disappeared again.
“I’d like to know what kind of business the family is in,” Aerin said with a low whistle.
Yvaine
was scowling, and I could see she was trying to remember something.
“Murillo,” Maruk murmured. “Is he the Murillo who married Pebbles Gravel? I didn’t realize they were one and the same.”
“You’re making that up,” I blurted out.
“No, no, he’s right,” Yvaine said as she looked around the room. “The Gravel family run several mining companies.”
“Seriously?” I asked.
“They took the name Gravel a few generations back, as an homage to their origins,” Maruk explained. “I’m not sure when they started naming all the children with mining-related names. At least two generations ago, I think.”
“Wait,” Aerin said. “Wasn’t the family accused of supporting black magic?”
“Yes,” Yvaine said as she placed a hand on her rapier. “That’s what I was trying to remember. Pebbles’ name wasn’t mentioned, but certainly an uncle and a pair of cousins were caught up in the accusations.”
I could feel the gem at my chest burning hot. I glanced down, then at the rest of the Foxes. I gave a slight nod, and without a word, they moved to different spots around the room, with their hands near their weapons.
Murillo returned a moment later, carrying a tray with a pitcher and several glasses. He set the pitcher down, and filled each glass with what looked like lemonade, then offered up another smile.
“Shall we toast your success?” he asked.
“Tell me, why are we meeting you here?” I demanded. “Wouldn’t it be safer to do this in the Tower?”
“It’s strictly for security reasons,” Murillo said. “The whole point was to keep the return of the Shodra a secret, and as Emeline can tell you, the Tower is hardly the perfect place for such secret transactions.”
“So Maderel knows we’re here,” I clarified.
“Of course,” Murillo replied. I glanced at Aerin, who shook her head.
“You’re lying,” I said. Murillo looked at Aerin, then dropped the smile.
“You have the Shodra,” he stated flatly.
“We should leave,” I ordered the Foxes.
We started to move towards the door, but six more mages appeared to block our way.
Shit.
I heard the slight squeak of a hinge and turned to see a hidden door next to the fireplace open up. Four more mages entered the room.